


Changes We Make

by EveasaurousRex



Series: Trials and Tribulations [2]
Category: The Avengers (2012), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF!Loki, Gen, Implied Torture, Mental Instability, Warning: Loki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-02
Updated: 2013-05-01
Packaged: 2017-12-04 01:02:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/704668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EveasaurousRex/pseuds/EveasaurousRex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Plans go awry, Odin tries crowning Thor king, and torture ensues at the hand of Thanos and the Other. A three-shot spanning the movie Thor, Loki's time with the Chitauri, and the movie Avengers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Thor

  
“Brother, you can never be sincere,” Thor said with a grin, looking over at him.

Loki sighed, and turned to fully face his brother. “I have looked forward to this day for a long time." His lips quirked ruefully. "Perhaps now father will leave me alone in peace.”  


Thor just snorted slightly. “Good luck with that brother. Now, go. I must prepare.”  


Loki nodded shortly and strode out of the waiting room, entering the throne room as though he owned it. He may not be king, but he was still a figure of respect, and sometimes fear amongst those he lived with.  


Arawn and Morrigan were by Frigga, resplendent in her golden dress, conversing quietly. He joined them, ignoring Volstagg as he called an insult about still being a prince and not king. With an idle wave of his hand, and not breaking stride, he turned the curly beard into snakes. He relished the shriek of surprise, and shrugged when his mother gave him an amused, exasperated look. With another wave, the snakes were gone and the beard was back.  


Before he could say a word, Odin struck the bottom of Gungnir against the marble floor, a signal that it was time to begin. They all took their places as Arawn shifted into wolf form, he and Morrigan sitting on either side of him on the steps.  


_“I have planned a prank, father,”_ Arawn said into his mind, and Loki smirked slightly as Thor began to walk down the aisle. He nearly rolled his eyes as his brothers theatrics, humming curiously in the back of his throat. The roaring of the crowd was so loud, only the two next to him heard it.  


_“I was wondering why you shifted into a wolf,”_ Morrigan added, none of them showing any outward sign of the conversation.  


_“What is this prank, my son?”_  


_“Oh you’ll see. Hopefully this will make grandfather see some reason when it comes to my darling uncle being king.”_  


Loki did look at Arawn then, brows knitting in a frown. It was not like his son to sound so bitter – so much like him – but he had been changing towards Thor since he had not shown up at the gates to the city two months past.  


So he waited, and clenched his teeth as Odin was about to decree Thor king, when the one blue eye sharpened, and went far away.  


“Frost giants.”  


After the enlightening entertainment between the two of them, Arawn and Loki headed to the hall where the feast was laid out, arriving before Thor even did. Morrigan was laying on the ledge, overlooking Asgard. They stood against a pillar, and Loki grinned at his son after making sure they were alone. “I do believe that was a lovely prank, my son.”  


Arawn returned the look. “Why thank you father. You do know what uncle is going to want to do after this, right?”  


Loki just nodded, watching out of the corner of his eye as Thor stormed in, and turned over the table with a roar of anger. Sighing, he sidled around the pillar, and sat next to his brother.  


He was so very predictable. The righteous anger, always believing his way to be the right way.  


“It’s unwise to be in my company right now, brother,” Thor said testily, hands clenching and unclenching in his anger.  


Loki barely contained a smirk. “Whoever said I was wise?”  


They were silent for a moment, surveying the wreckage, and then Thor spoke quietly. “This was to be my day of triumph.”  


_This is all too easy,_ he thought to himself, almost gleefully. The display in the vault had only solidified the knowledge that Thor would make a terrible king, at least until he learned how to stop making rash decisions. Loki could only hope that this would show Odin how shallow a man Thor was...and show his brother how much he needed to change.  


“It will come, in time.” He looked away once, and then back, his lies coming easily to him. “If it’s any consolation, I think you’re right. About the frost giants, about Laufey, everything. If a few of them could penetrate the defenses of Asgard once, who’s to say they won’t try again? Next time with an army.”  


“Exactly!” Thor agreed hotly, and Loki smirked mentally.  


“But there’s nothing we can do without defying father.” _Hook, line, and sinker._ The plan solidified in his mind at the look on Thor’s face, but he still had a part to play.  


His eyes widened in alarm.  


“No. No no no no no no, I know that look.”  


[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]

After that, Loki found himself in Jotunheim for the second time in his life, walking behind Thor on his left, Arawn and Morrigan to the right, and the warrior idiots ranged behind them. He knew the outcome of this visit would be vastly different then the last one, however.  


“Where are they?” Sif asked softly as they continued closer to the broken palace.  


“Hiding like the cowards they are,” Thor scoffed, and Loki just shook his head. He could see the warriors stationed in alcoves in the ice, watching them like hawks. Unlike their own warriors however, these would not attack unless given a direct command from Laufey.  


They finally made it to where the king sat, and Thor’s face was like a thunderhead.  


“I am Thor of Asgard, and-”  


“I know who you are, Prince.” He pointedly looked right past Thor and to Arawn and Morrigan, his son giving the king a half-smile as he bowed.  


Loki was darkly amused to see all the faces around him go nearly purple with rage at the disrespect of Thor.  


“Laufey King. I apologize for not visiting recently.”  


Loki hummed thoughtfully to himself as those red eyes warmed slightly. He had not realized that the giant felt any true affection for his son. He could use this, if it came to it. 

“You have been most remiss in your visits, changed mortal. Twice since you slay the nidhogg. You wear the skin well.”  


Arawn couldn’t hide the flash of pride as he swept his saffron colored cloak away. He had commissioned two sets of clothing from the nidhogg’s skin. His battle armor, and the more formal clothing that they wore now. This set merely had stripes of the scales along the edges, more as decoration than anything else. His battle armor however, was made purely out of the serpents skin, spelled from the inside to change the color to black. A nidhogg’s scales couldn’t be penetrated by any sort of magic, but the inside was just as vulnerable as anything else. He could do nothing about the sheen however; the armor looked like an oil slick.  


“My thanks, Laufey King. It was generous of you to allow me my kill.”  


“Laufey King!” Thor’s voice was sharp, and any sort of softness dropped suddenly from the kings face. Loki froze, flexing his fingers and rotating his wrists in an unconscious gesture. “Your frost giants broke into our weapons vault. I wish to know why!”  


Laufey only tilted his head slightly, a smirk slowly appearing on his blue lips. “There is a traitor in the house of Odin.”  


“Do not dishonor my father’s name such!” Thor’s hand tightened on Mjolnir threateningly.  


Laufey suddenly stood, face set in stone. “You did not come here for answers, Thor Odinson. You came here for war, and you have no knowledge of what your actions threaten.” The red eyes darkened. “I do.”  


“I demand an answer!” Thor shouted, ignoring the frost giants that surrounded them. No one else did. Arawn, Morrigan, and Loki were the only ones that refused to shift in apprehension at the looming figures.  


“Leave, now, while I still allow it, Prince of Asgard.” His voice was a deep, ominous rumble, and a giant among giants emerged from the shadows below Laufey, striding towards them unhurriedly. A frisson of fear snaked up Loki’s spine, and he quickly stepped forward, putting a hand on Thor’s arm.  


“We graciously accept your offer,” he said smoothly.  


“Know your place brother,” Thor growled, but Loki paid him no mind, his eyes on the giant standing in front of them. He felt Thor waver as he finally looked around.  


“Come on brother,” he growled then, dropping Thor’s arm and turning, sighing silently in relief when Thor followed. _The fact that Thor had came will be more than enough for father to see how foolish and reckless –_  


“Run home little princess.”  


“Damn,” he muttered, hearing the words from the frost giant. He was already summoning his daggers as Thor turned, Mjolnir striking the giant across the face and sending him flying.  


“Next?”  


_You’re a fucking idiot Thor!_ He grumbled in his mind as he began to duck and weave around the frost giants; magic, daggers, and illusions setting his blood on fire like few things could. He fell into the familiar pattern of split-second decisions, making plans, modifying them, discarding them, only for new ones to take place. His heart pounded, a grim smile on his face as he whirled, long daggers in his hands as he hamstringed two giants at the same time. He took a moment to look around, wincing when a giant managed to grab the arm of Volstagg.  


“Don’t let them touch you!” the male yelled, but Loki wasn’t paying attention anymore. He had three giants on his tail, and he cast simultaneous spells. He teleported himself to behind an ice pillar, while an illusion of him stopped at the edge and twirled. The giants took it to be him, just like he intended, and all three of them went over the edge when they tried to tackle it. He twisted his hand to dismiss the illusion, and threw himself back into the fray.  


“We need to go Thor!” he yelled at his brother, eyes casting around as more and more giants started to pour into the battle.  


“Then go!” Thor yelled back, smacking another giant into the wall.  


Cursing when he saw a giant go for Thor’s back, he stepped into his brothers circle, and flinched when the giant grabbed his arm.  


Then, his world cracked into several pieces as his leather and armor fell apart from being frozen, and instead of his skin turning black from frost bite, it turned blue. Jotun blue.  


He blinked, and he and the giant looked at each other in surprise, right before he put his dagger through the side of his head. The giant fell, and for a long moment he stared at his bare arm, the scorching madness that he had been trying so hard to contain, beginning to crack and spread.  


_What the hell just happened..._  


A cry of pain snapped him back to the present, and he cursed under his breath. Hogun and Arawn pulled Fandral from a spear of ice, and he knew it was time for a retreat. He thought of calling to his brother again, but knew the look of battle fever, and decided against it. Thor would follow them…he hoped.  


As they began to run, Morrigan yelled at him. _“We got an ice beast! I’ll hold it off!”_  


“Morri, no!” Arawn yelled, and Loki chanced a glance back, and abruptly started cursing.  


“Take everyone to the Bifrost site!” he yelled at Sif, and without waiting for her to acknowledge his words, he joined his son and wolf in fighting off the beast. He dodged an attack from its claws, but Morrigan wasn’t so lucky. She screamed a howl as the claws raked across her side, causing her to stagger and go down. Loki turned to the beast as hate and fear boiled through him, Arawn at his side.  


They moved with deadly precision, wasting no movements as they systematically cut the beasts limbs from it. Then Arawn raised his daggers and elongated them with magic, cutting off the beasts head. The red eyes went lifeless, and Loki turned to Morrigan. She was staggering on her feet, red blood staining the ice and snow below her. Somehow the claws had gotten through her armor, and dug deep.  


_“I will be fine father, brother,”_ she said with nods to them, even though her red eyes were tight with pain. Arawn shifted into a wolf, supporting her as they ran for the Bifrost site, arriving just as Thor landed from the skies. Loki had no time to consider the events that just happened. His mind was blessedly numb with battle adrenaline, and he could only hope it stayed that way.  


The sickness in his stomach knew it wouldn't last.  


He turned, daggers at the ready as Laufey approached, muscle coiled and alert. He didn’t dare turn around when the Bifrost opened even though Thor did, unconsciously watching everyone’s back. He knew who it was the moment he heart the whinny, and the thunder of eight hooves.  


Sleipnir, the beautiful horse that he had unknowingly made. It had been back when he was first delving into the more forbidden arts, tampering with living beings. He had been practicing the power on a mare, changing her coat, without knowing that she had been with foal. The stallion that was produced had eight legs, twisted from his magic.  


His heart still ached when he thought of all the health problems the foal had gone through. It was only because of his mother that he had lived, but in the end, Sleipnir was a horse that rivaled no other.  


When Laufey rose on the ice to meet his father – _was he his father?_ – he relaxed as the giants ranged in front of him did. Only then did he warily turn to face Odin. 

“All-father. You’re looking weary.” Laufey was amused again, though it held a darker edge then before.  


“Laufey. End this now.”  


“You’re boy sought this out, All-father.”  


Odin hesitated, and though he showed nothing of it, a flash of cruel satisfaction shot through Loki. It was quickly followed by disgust at himself for the emotion, and though he tried, he couldn’t push it completely away. Something clawed sharply at the edges of his mind that he refused to pay attention to.  


“You’re right. These are the actions of a boy. Treat them as such.”  


Thor puffed up as though to say something, but Odin gave him a sharp, disappointed look. “Silence!”  


Laufey didn’t look away, but his face grew harder. “You’re boy will get what he came from. War…death.” The word was said softly, though it wasn’t any less dangerous for the quiet.  


Odin nodded his head once, shallowly, in acknowledgement. “So be it.”  


Laufey went to strike, but Odin raised Gungnir, and they were all transported back to the chamber. Loki paid close attention to the words between his brother and father, even as Arawn shifted and the two of them set to healing Morrigan. He winced internally as Arawn’s eyes got bigger at the events unfolding in front of them, shining with surprise and guilt.  


_“Hide your emotions my son,”_ he said sharply into his mind, and like a steel trap, the amber eyes were clear again.  


He tuned back in to hear Odin say, “You’re right. I am a fool. A fool to think that you were ready for the throne.”  


“Father,” he began, but was cut off with a loud yell. He straightened and cast his eyes down, while inward he was dancing with glee. Then Odin opened the Bifrost again, and he was left standing there in complete shock as his father disowned his other son.  


_That was not supposed to happen,_ he thought almost hysterically, tearing apart the urge to laugh. _That wasn't part of the plan._  


“Grandfather!” Arawn cried after Odin had thrown Mjolnir, but Odin didn’t respond. He simply turned and walked out. Morrigan got to her feet.  


_“What just happened?”_ she asked softly, as they followed slowly after his father.  


_“Uncle Thor was banished to Midgard.”_ Even Arawn’s mental voice was shaking.  


Morrigan cocked her head. _“That is not a bad thing, right? He has been there before.”_  


_“This time is different. Now he's mortal...”_  


Loki had to grab his son as he started shaking, face pale and eyes wide.  


“D-dad…I didn’t, I mean…I didn’t want this to happen!” Arawn cried, and Loki wrapped him in a tight hug. His mind was going at a frantic pace, plans and machinations being formed, discarded, edited, and he knew. He knew what he was going to do.  


He would right everything in one brilliant, mad plan.  


“Arawn, shh,” he whispered soothingly, running a hand through the curly red hair. “No one could have envisioned father banishing Thor. I was even surprised with it. I have a plan, however.”  


“Just one?” The amused, thick words were said into his chest, and he smiled slightly.  


“No, not just one. I will need you to go to Midgard, and Anthony until this is all over. If this is what makes Thor into a better king – no, a better man, then I will follow through with it.”  


Arawn pulled back, and gave him a frowning, searching look. “And get some revenge in the process?”  


His smile was sharp, the edges threatening to break into madness. “You know me too well my son.”  


“Dad, I don’t like this,” Arawn said softly, reaching up and touching the corner of his mouth. His smile fell away instantly. “I don’t like this darkness in you.”  


Loki closed his eyes, leaning forward to press his forehead against Arawn’s. “I don’t either,” he admitted, because he never lied to his son. “I have not been able to get rid of it however…and I am not sure I want to. My plans would be much harder if I was completely sane.”  


Arawn snorted, and pulled away. Loki was glad to see the previous panic was gone, replaced by a quiet sadness and amusement. “Alright, I will go along with this asinine plan of yours. When do you want me to leave?”  


Loki looked at his hand, frowning, then clenched it into a fist. “There is something I need to tell you, and show you first. Come with me to the weapons vault.”  


Arawn frowned in confusion, but nodded.  


Loki went to see the warriors first, finding them in Thor’s receiving area, pacing around the large fire that was there. He entered just in time to hear Volstagg ask, “Who told the guard in the first place?”  


“I did,” he said, stepping fully into the room, head held high like the prince he was. Arawn had told the guard, but he refused to let his son take any blame. He was used to being the scapegoat anyway.  


“You?!” Fandral exclaimed hotly, looking to get up. Loki glared, stopping the man in his tracks.  


“Yes, me. The guard should be flogged for his speed. We never should have reached Jotunheim.”  


“Loki, you must go to the king and petition for Thor to come back,” Sif said, and he nearly growled at her simpering tones. How he hated that woman.  


“Why?” he asked sharply. “You saw him today. Brash, reckless. He started a new war! Is that what Asgard needs from her king?”  


He turned and left before he said more, making sure the doors slammed behind him. He stopped for a moment, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Then he made his way down to the weapons vault, finding Arawn and Morrigan already there, inspecting a few of the weapons that were stored.  


“Hey dad. So what did you want to tell me?”  


Loki said nothing, but motioned with his hand for Arawn to follow him. He went to the Casket, and motioned for Arawn to place a hand on the other handle. His son looked confused, but did as he asked. Slowly, Arawn’s jaw dropped as their hands turned blue, eyes going wide.  


“Stop!”  


They both froze at Odin’s voice.  


“Are we cursed?” he asked quietly, the blue creeping more and more along his skin. He could feel the heat being stripped away from him, and the cold was surprisingly soothing to his tangled emotions.  


“No.”  


He took his hand off the Casket and Arawn did the same. They both turned to face Odin, even as Morrigan walked up and casually licked Arawn’s face. Since she was from the icy world, the arctic feel of his skin had no effect on her.  


“Then what are we?”  


“You are my family.”  


“What more than that?” Arawn asked softly, as the blue began to recede from their skin, red eyes being replaced by emerald and amber. Loki frowned, reading the weariness his father held, the burdens that he was trying too hard to hide, and suddenly it made sense.  


“The Casket wasn’t the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?” Odin was silent, jaw working as they both watched him accusingly.  


“No.” There was a moment of silence. “In the aftermath of the battle, I went into the temple, and found a baby. Small for a giant’s offspring; alone, suffering, left to die. Laufey’s son.”  


Loki’s eyes went wide as Arawn made a small noise of surprise. He was… _I am…_  


“Why?” He voice cracked and was hoarse, but he didn’t care. “You were knee deep in Jotun blood, why would you take me?”  


“Because you were an innocent.” Odin’s voice was tired, almost pleading.  


“No. You took me for a purpose.” Loki’s mind was reeling, and he absently clenched a hand in Morrigan’s fur when she moved next to him. “What was it?” When Odin remained silent, his control broke. He needed to know. _I can't live and not know!_ “TELL ME!”  


Odin hesitated once more, resigned and sad, then opened his mouth. “I thought that one day we could unite our people in a permanent peace, through you. But those plans no longer matter.”  


Loki felt the tears in his eyes, but he didn’t care. He had thought he had hated his father before – _not my father_ – but it had been a drop in the bucket compared to now. Vaguely he heard Arawn speaking, and had to fight with himself to pull his mind from the dark, spiraling, cackling vortex it was slipping into.  


“Even when we joined you didn’t say anything grandfather. How…how could you do that to him? To us? To not say anything about our heritage…that is beyond despicable!”  


“So I am nothing more than a-a stolen relic,” he hissed, uncaring of the emotions he was showing through his words. “Locked up here until you have use for me.”  


Odin shook his head, looking even more tired. “No, no. Why do you twist my words?”  


“You could have told me! Why didn’t you?”  


“You are my son Loki. I only wanted to protect you from the truth.”  


Something settled in his chest that he refused to name. Betrayal was only one of them. Stories that he had heard growing up, some of them from Odin's own mouth. “Because I am the monster that people tell their children about.”  


“Don’t…”  


“So this is why you favored Thor above me. It all makes sense now.” He didn’t realize he had advanced to Odin until he found himself spitting the words in his face, emotions twisting in ugly, snarling patterns.  


“Listen…”  


“No...no! Because no matter how much you claim to love me, you couldn’t have a frost giant on the throne of Asgard!”  


“Loki, my son, listen to me!”  


Loki strode past him, jaw clenched so he couldn’t say anything else, determined to get to a private place where he can vent his feelings and try to make sense of all of it. He was to the door, when he heard Arawn cry out behind him.  


“Grandfather!”  


He whipped around, hating that traitorous part of him that had a mild panic attack at seeing Odin so still and pale on the floor. He knelt down, and hesitantly touched a warm hand, having to swallow and fight back tears. He carefully pulled the shattered pieces of his mask around him, taking a deep breath and looking to his son.  


“Let us get him back to his chambers. He has fallen into Odin-sleep.”  


They both used their sorcery to take Odin back to Frigga, and she was the one who erected the protective aura that would aide him in sleep. He settled on one side of his father, Arawn sitting at his feet as he carded his hands through the red hair, painfully collecting the pieces of himself.  


Finally, after hours of sitting in silence with his mother, he could stand the silence no more. “Mother…did you know of my heritage?”  


She gave him a gentle, tired look. “I knew, my son.”  


“Why…why did you lie?”  


“We never wanted you to feel different. I wanted to tell you when my grandson joined us, but your father overruled my wishes. You are our son Loki. Being a frost giant doesn’t change that, anymore then Arawn being human stopped us from taking him into our family.”  


He had to look away from the love in her eyes at those words. No matter what he felt towards his other family, he could never feel anything negative for his mother. She had gone out of her way more times than he could count to treat him equally, and he would not sully the sacrifices she had made for him.  


“You musn’t give up hope my son, that your father and brother will return to us. You have much to talk about.”  


He frowned. “What hope is there for Thor?”  


She just smiled. “There is a reason for everything your father does.”  


He was about to respond when the doors opened, and a councilman walked in. In his hands, was Gungnir. He stood swiftly, wondering what this was about, when his mother spoke.  


“You are the next in line, Loki Odinson. As such, it is your duty to protect Asgard as her king until your father awakens.”  


Joy, triumph, quickly followed by bitterness and a screaming panic. He didn’t want the throne. This prank was never supposed to go this far. He only wanted Odin to admit that he and Thor were equals, for his brother to learn humility...  


Yet, as he took Gungnir from the man and felt the true, full power of the spear in his hand, welcoming him as the king of Asgard, something inside his mind twisted, slipped, and broke.  


A small grin curled his lips.  


If he were to be king, then he would _enjoy_ it. He would use this opportunity to prove to his father that he was a worthy son, that he was Thor’s equal.  


He _would_.  


[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]

Arawn left for Midgard the next day, and Loki was free to complete his plans. It was along this way that he realized something that really shouldn't have surprised him, but actually did.  


He would do anything for his brother.  


He wanted Thor to become a better person, to actually be the king and man that he knew was inside that thick skull. He had thought he was seeing it when they had been on Midgard together, but as he watched him with the mortal, Jane, he realized that maybe he had just needed a different – human – touch.  


He also got great, cruel delight in reminding Heimdall that he was the king, and the idiot warriors. That had been a very pleasurable experience.  


He could not forgive his father though. No matter how much he thought on it, or how he reasoned with himself, the hatred grew and blossomed into something darker, venomous…homicidal.  


That was how he found himself in front of Laufey for a third time, offering something that he never thought he would.  


The death of Odin.  


He had already told his brother that he was dead, all he needed to do now was follow through with his then lie, and make it truth.  


Then Heimdall took it upon himself to allow the warriors passage to Midgard. He had expected it, but the deed would not go unpunished.  


Using the Casket filled him with smooth power, that tasted of deep snow and spoke of cracking glaciers. It was addicting and sweet, but underneath it all was a potency that he knew to be wary of. He exhaled the breath he had been holding as he waved it into a pocket dimension, eyeing Heimdall curiously as the blue faded from his skin. He felt no remorse for what he did, but his mind always sought knowledge, and encasing people in ice was a first for him. He sent out a whisper of magic and knew that the god was still alive.  


He turned with a self-satisfied grin.  


It was with an nonchalant facade that he caused the Destroyer to slam his metal hand into Thor’s very mortal face, and did not wince when he heard the crack of his neck breaking. He watched with calm mask in place, as his thoughts and emotions churned, waiting for Thor to rise, to take Mjolnir, to become his _brother_ once again. Odin never did anything without a purpose, and wouldn’t have been so cruel to leave Mjolnir within his grasp without some sort of redemption. Despite what he told his brother.  


If becoming the villain is what it took, then so be it. He would bear the burden, to keep his son – and daughter – safe, to watch his brother rise from the ashes like a phoenix, to finally have his kin acknowledge him as _equal, worthy…_  


He would do _anything._  


There was sick pleasure in the act, and rather than go mad with grief, he channeled it into rage that burned cold. With ruthless efficiency he battled his brother, controlling the metal being with his mind and Gungnir alone. He slipped free when it crashed, frowning in displeasure as he strode down the Bifrost. He smirked at the still frozen Heimdall, and welcomed Laufey into Asgard.  


He could not bring himself to kill Laufey, remembering the way the giant had looked upon his son. Instead he walked close to the fallen Jotun, whispering a spell over the prone form but didn't cast it yet. "The only reason I am sparing your life is for Arawn. Let us see if you can survive what comes next, hmm?" Then he cast it, transporting Laufey back to Jotunheim. His mother thought he had killed him, and came rushing towards him, enveloping him in a tight hug...but his victory turned to ash when Thor stormed into the chambers.  


“Why don’t you tell her, brother, how you sent the Destroyer to kill our friends, to kill me?”  


“It must have been enforcing fathers last commands.”  


“You’re a talented liar brother, always have been.”  


Loki paused, and smiled insincerely. “It’s good to have you back.” The smile dropped as he raised Gungnir. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to destroy Jotunheim.”  


He refused to look at his mother as he shot Thor through the wall, and teleported to outside the Bifrost chambers. He paused there as he thought about what he was about to do, a twisted smirk appearing as he contemplated the culmination of all his plans.  


He hadn’t originally planned on destroying Jotunheim, especially with how fond Arawn seemed to be of the place, but what better way to stop the war?  


At this moment, he was feeling downright selfish, and he was going to do what he wanted, damn the consequences.  


He slid Gungnir home, marveling as Yggradisil branched out throughout the room. It truly was a beautiful sight, and he froze it in ice as thunder echoed through the room. He spun just as Thor entered the doorway, a grin on his face. He knocked him back when Thor tried to break the ice, loosing himself to the part he was playing, feeling the cracks echoing through his mind as they went deeper.  


“Loki this is madness!” Thor yelled.  


“Is it? Is it?” he hissed back, ignoring the tears coating his lashes. “Is it?! When did you become so soft?” He smiled cruelly. “It’s that woman isn’t it? Maybe when I’m done here, I’ll pay her a visit. I’ll make her regret the day she ever met you!”  


That did it, pushing his brother over the edge, and he finally got the fight that he wanted. Neither held back, but despite everything, he still found himself flat on his back with Mjolnir sitting on his chest.  


“Look at you,” he hissed, watching as Thor frantically searched for some way to stop the overloading Bifrost. “The mighty Thor. What’re you going to do now, huh?” Mjolnir seemed to press harder into his chest, and he grunted, all the bitterness and anger and madness that was swirling through him echoing in his words. “Do you hear me brother?! There’s nothing you can do!”  


Suddenly, Mjolnir was gone from his chest, and he raised his head. He watched in shock as Thor struck the first blow, the rainbow bridge beneath their feet cracking with the swing.  


“What are you doing? If you destroy the bridge you’ll never see her again!” Thor paid his words no attention, only striking another blow. He grasped Gungnir and began to run towards his brother. He wouldn’t see all his hard work go to waste. There was no thought on how he wanted his brother to be a better man, to try and get Odin to see him as equal. No, all his previous plans were swallowed, chewed, and spit out in the face of his rage and disbelief as he jumped, spear poised perfectly to enter directly into Thor’s heart.  


Then Mjolnir struck again, and before Gungnir could strike, the bridge exploded.  


He found himself hanging over the wormhole created by the falling mechanism, staring up at his brother, and Odin.  


“I could’ve done it father!” he yelled, hating how young and desperate his voice sounded, and not able to do a thing about it. “I could’ve done it! For you! For all of us.” It cracked on the last word, and he had to swallow hard.  


“No, Loki.”  


That was it. The deceptively simple words cracked the last of his composure, and a single tear rolled from the corner of his eye, and down his temple. He let his grip slip just a bit.  


“Loki no…”  


“Take care of Arawn, brother.”  


“NO!”  


He let go, and didn’t look back.  


[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]

Arawn frowned as he looked at the screen, aimlessly tapping his nails on the counter next to him. He was looking into the universe with the aid of satellites, and didn’t like what he saw. Earth would see it as a star dying or being born, but he knew better. He was seeing the destruction of the Bifrost, and he didn’t like what that meant.  


His father hadn’t told him the entirety of his plans, but Arawn had lived with the man, had been raised by him, so he could guess. Then suddenly, it stopped.  


With a growl of frustration he pushed away from the workstation, needing to get his head wrapped around something else for the time being. Until his father said it was good to go back.  


“Jarvis, bring up the schematics for the engine of my car.”  


“Yes Mr. Lokison.”  


He fell into working on it, shamelessly stealing some of Tony’s idea and incorporating them. The man himself was in New York, overseeing the equipment that he wanted for Stark Tower, so he had Malibu to himself for the moment. Morrigan was sleeping peacefully in a corner, wrapped up in the fur of the ice cat that his father had killed.  


A crackle rent the air, and for a moment, he was filled with hope that it was his father come to take him home. To tell him that everything was going to be fine, that his uncle had changed…  


What he got instead was an insectile creature, wearing a metal face mask and sporting more fingers then any being he had seen. He immediately summoned his armor and daggers, gripping the hilts tightly.  


His magic crackled around him with saffron lightning as Morrigan shot awake, her eyes glowing as she summoned her own sorcery.  


“Who are you? What do you want?”  


“So you are the changed mortal,” the creature said in a hiss, and Arawn’s hackles raised. The only one to call him that had been Laufey. “My masters plan does have merit.”  


“What-”  


He got no more out as something struck him from behind. He had a moment of sickening dizziness to hear Morrigan howl in pain, and he unwillingly pitched into darkness.


	2. The Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki falls, and is reunited with his children in less then ideal circumstances.

The void was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Voices in the dark screamed and cried and ranted, stars flashing into faces that cried blood, creatures that he had never known existed creeping in and out from around planets and his mind. He was simultaneously freezing cold and scorching hot, wanting to close his eyes against the horror and beauty assaulting him, but unable to. 

All he could do was continue on.

The void had no sense of time. All it afforded him was a chance to look back and reflect on his mistakes, on the hope that Anthony or Thor was watching over his children, that Odin was smart enough to leave them out of the mess he had created. He thought that Odin was smart enough to do so, because surely the man knew what would happen if Loki ever found out they had suffered for him. 

It would make what he did to Jotunheim look kind.

He battled creatures of the dark, both externally and within his own mind. When his mind became a battlefield, he forgot any attempt at sanity, and fought like the beast that was within his soul. All cruel cunning and vicious claws. He did not always win, the creature he had been fighting worming its way into the cracks and finding purchase there. He had not been alive for centuries however, without having learned a few tricks. He could not dislodge the thing, so he sealed it off, only to have skittering and chirping continuously echoing in his mind. 

He was in the midst of a battle with a worm-like creature, when a strong force grabbed him, and _pulled_. He yelped before he could stop himself, but allowed his mind to fall into blessed darkness with a mad, relieved laugh.

[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]

Loki woke to someone running their fingers through his hair. He knew from the touch that it was his son, and for one, oblivious moment, he thought everything that had happened had been a dream. Then the cold beneath him made itself known, and the chittering in the corners of his mind started again.

He shot upwards, looking around and rapidly taking in what was around him. Arawn was sitting against a wall that looked to be made of rotting meat and metal, Morrigan was next to him, and there was no discernable doorway out from the cell they were in. With a soft groan he rubbed his aching temples, fighting back a giggle at realizing that somehow, someway, they were both caged.

“What…” He had to cough to clear his throat, and he tried to access his powers at the same time. He wasn’t surprised to find that he couldn’t.

“They’re called the Chitauri,” Arawn said softly. “And they’re ruled by a being called Thanos.”

Loki’s skin went cold at the name. He had heard of Thanos, the Mad Titan, and what he had done to the universe. This was very bad.

“How did you get here son?” he asked softly, looking over his fellow male for any sign of injury. When he found none, he switched his gaze to Morrigan, and frowned slightly. She was still the sleek wolf she had become after they had brought her from Jotunheim, telling him that her magic wasn't dampened by whatever it was keeping his at bay. The warning look in her eye told him to keep his mouth shut though.

“We were attacked in Tony’s lab. They knew better then to use magic, and just knocked us out.”

“Where was Anthony?”

“He had gone to New York to put all the toys in his new Tower.”

Loki just nodded. He was glad Anthony hadn’t been brought into all this, but still angry at the man for allowing Arawn to be taken in the first place. Though a mortal, even with Iron Man, wouldn’t have stood a chance against Thanos. 

He was immediately on his feet as the wall shimmered, and the being himself walked through. A wicked grin spread the grey colored skin, revealing blunt, yellow teeth.

“Ah, I am pleased you have awoken, little god. I was beginning to get impatient.”

Loki grit his teeth. “To what do I own the pleasure, Thanos?”

“So you do know who I am. This will make this much easier.”

Thanos just smiled again, and inside Loki sweated. He didn’t like the callous dismissal he saw there. “You are going to retrieve something for me on a tiny planet called Earth.”

_So he needs me for something._ A manic, wide grin stretch his lips, showing his teeth. “And what does the mighty Thanos need me to get, that he cannot himself?”

The Titan frowned, and sudden pain ricocheted through his skull. As soon as it was there it was gone, and he found himself panting, on his knees, hands buried in his hair without any knowledge of any of it happening. Arawn’s hands were shaking and tight on his shoulders.

“Do not delude yourself pseudo god. I need nothing from you, for if I so desired I could destroy that little planet with nothing more than a command.”

“Then why don’t you?” he rasped, glaring up at the grey-skinned male. “Why do you want me to do your dirty work for you?”

“My lady stays my hand,” Thanos said shortly, and smiled calmly again. “Your son will pay the price if you do not do as I ask. I gave you but a taste of what I can truly do.”

Loki felt himself go ashen when Arawn stood suddenly. “You do not intimidate me Thanos.” Morrigan growled in agreement. 

Thanos just shrugged. Arawn’s and Morrigan’s eyes rolled and they collapsed, mouths opening to emit terrible screaming full of pain and terror. 

“Stop!” he yelled harshly, standing and putting himself between them. The screaming stopped, but he didn’t turn. His eyes were locked with the glowing ones of Thanos, acidic rage and fear causing his hands to clench and nails to dig deep into his palms. “You dare to threaten my children you blundering oaf!” 

He was not prepared for the meaty hand that stuck him across the face, but he did not move or stagger from the heavy blow. Blood filled his mouth, and eyes spitting rage, he looked back at Thanos and spit in his face. He grinned madly when the Titan growled, fear a distant memory. He spread his hands and mock bowed, never lowering his defiant glare.

“I am at your service.”

“Not out of willingness to serve,” Thanos rumbled, annoyed and still pissed.

Loki’s smirk was sharp. “Never. However, you and I know that I will do as you ask, because you have my children. That is the reason you took them, is it not?” Thanos made no movement of agreement, but his silence said it all. “I do have one question.”

“Ask Liesmith.”

“Why me?” His voice was soft, steel coated in silk. 

Thanos just smirked. “You will do anything to protect what is yours.”

Loki straightened to his full height, ignoring the aches in his muscle and the throbbing of his head and squared his shoulders arrogantly. His broad smile was full of teeth. “You have _no_ idea.”

For the first time, there was a flicker of unease in the glowing eyes, quickly masked by cold indifference. Loki smirked mentally to see it. The Titan truly had no idea the lengths Loki would go to.

He would find out.

[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]

Loki learned much in the months after he had been stolen from the Void. One such piece of knowledge came as soon as he left the cage, after making sure his son and daughter were well. His sorcery was shut down only inside of that cage, by runes upon runes etched into the stone surrounding the organic inside. 

He also found out that Thanos had no way to keep his powers from him outside of it. He had soundly thrashed the Other when the Chitauri leader had made the mistake of torturing Arawn, and then bragging to Loki about it. Thanos could do nothing but issue a beating, while painful, did nothing to break his spirit. Even while in the cage, without his power, his and his children’s mental shields were too well made for even the Titan to penetrate. He and his minions could inflict mental pain however, and inflict they did.

He spent most of his time being groomed by Thanos to take over the insectile army, however when that wasn’t taking place, he was being tortured. Most nights he would find himself in the cell with his children, Morrigan chained to the wall and helpless as he and Arawn were put through as much agony as possible before their bodies shut down. 

He could see the changes in his son and daughter, as they hardened, and began to hate. Neither cried out anymore during the beatings, and it was only at night, when Thanos sent dreams, that either of them allowed themselves to cave. He had never known a wolf to cry, and though she was unable to shed tears, her sobbing mental voice tore at him in ways Arawn’s vocal ones could not. He did everything he could to make it easier, even taking their punishments when he could. He was allowed out of the dank, throbbing cage; Arawn and Morrigan were not. Loki could heal himself. 

He begged and pleaded with Thanos, ignoring his own pride to keep the pain away from his children. Thanos was pleased enough with his seeming submission to give the order, and his children were left alone. Day after day he would go see them, bringing them food, and was glad that they had begun to heal. Every day was a new trial, new wounds being inflicted over others, but it was only Arawn and Morrigan who saw the scars and wounds. He couldn't hide them in the cage with a glamour as he could while out of it, and his children seethed with an impotent rage. He tried his best to reassure them, all the while speaking quietly about plans to escape, and then the day came.

The day when Thanos revealed to him that the object he was retrieving, was the Tesseract.

Loki had never felt such fear as he did when Thanos showed him the spear that Loki was to wield. The blue gem screamed with the power of the Tesseract, tendrils reaching out to his mind and trying to enslave it.

The explanation Odin have given about it flashed through his mind. _"I never should have made it. It is unlimited power, and even I have trouble controlling it. It calls upon the parts of me that I would never acknowledge, urging me to use the power, to destroy and conquer." Odin's one blue eye had smiled at him then, strained. "Never allow it to touch you my son. It will take over your mind."_

"I refuse," he rasped, the Other holding his wrists tightly behind him as a Chitauri rained blow after blow on him. Blood poured from his panting lips. "I will not take that weapon."

"Oh you will little god. You have no choice."

"I will not!" he yelled, ignoring the blood that was streaming down his skin from the cuts they had inflicted. He struggled wildly but futilely against the restraining hands. The Other snarled and wrenched his arms out in front of him, and he screamed in denial and terror as the weapon came in contact with the bare skin of his hands.

Blue power flooded his mind, sending him screaming from the onslaught and weeping from the sensation. This was power that he never should have control over, even this little bit, as it whispered to the darkness in him - the pride, the arrogance. With this in his hands he could do anything. He could make Odin bow before him, take Asgard by storm, rule Midgard...

And it scared the shit out of him.

He came back to himself to find that all his wounds were healed, but his mind was no longer completely his. He swallowed bitterly, scowling at the spear as his hands tightened around the golden metal. Thanos had sunk his hooks in when the Tesseract had entered his mind, and now he was no more than a puppet. He still had his own thoughts and feelings, but he could not disobey a command from the Titan in front of him.

The words were bitter, seething ashes on his tongue as he spoke. "Your wish is my command."

Thanos chuckled heartily, cruelly. "Never of your own choice, Loki Liesmith."

"Never," he rasped. He glared upwards. "You had my word. There was no need for this."

"I needed insurance."

Loki said nothing after that, and stood and walked away. He went to the cage where his children were, but could not even summon a small smile when Arawn stood with one on his face.

Arawn frowned, and Loki wanted to wince at the fear there, to give reassurances, but he was far too tired now. For once, he understood the weariness that he had seen in Odin's face. That bone deep tiredness that made you want to sleep and never wake up again.

"Dad, what happened?" Arawn asked softly, as Morrigan walked up as well.

She sniffed the spear, then growled. _"Your eyes are blue father, not green. What has been done?"_

He swallowed, and thought about lying. He had made a promise however - he would never lie to his children.

"Thanos has gotten his hooks into me, against my will. I am now bound to him, to do what he says." He spit the last words out, and stiffened when Arawn hugged him. His son said nothing though, nothing verbally, and slowly Loki allowed himself to relax, resting his forehead on the warm shoulder.

"You may be bound father, but we are not. We will find a way. We were raised by the great Trickster, after all."

Loki offered a weak chuckle at that, and finally pulled back. He put his free hand on Arawn's shoulder, and smiled at them both. "I will be leaving for Midgard in a few days. I doubt that I will make it back before that. I love you, my children."

"I love you too, dad," Arawn said thickly, a faint sheen of tears over his eyes.

Loki leaned over and kissed his cheek, then Morrigan's nose. _"I love you as well, father."_

"Be safe, my children." Then he turned sharply and strode from the room, new resolves burning in his heart, and he didn't care if Thanos could hear his thoughts.

He would make the Titan pay for this.

[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]

It was a few hours after he had felt his dads presence leave, and Arawn had his eyes closed, cheek resting on his upraised knees when something whispered over his senses. 

Instantly the aura around him sharpened with focus. _"Something is there Morrigan."_

_"I know."_ She licked her chops, raising her head purposely to face the far wall. It was the wall their captors usually came though. Neither had to wait long before something slid through, and an utterly instinctive reaction had him scrambling backwards, over the wolf. Sheer terror was fueling his movements, and until he hit the wall he felt like a rabbit caught in a hawks talons. The sharp thump jarred him enough that he shook it off, but he was breathing heavily as he stared with wide eyes at the...thing before him.

It was nothing but a skeleton clothed in grey mist, flowing and coiling like smoke around the bones. 

"What the hell are you?" he breathed, adrenaline still making his heart beat rapidly.

_"I am Death."_

Arawn stopped breathing then, the words whispering through his mind like a cold wind through leaves.

"Did I die then?" he asked, wondering if he was truly ready to face death. He didn't think he was...

_"No,"_ the being replied. _"You are in a rare position, Arawn Lokison."_

Arawn blinked, wondering what the hell was going on. First he had been kidnapped by insect aliens, then tortured, and now he was having a conversation with Death. He snorted, and suddenly everything broke and he found himself laughing hysterically.

_"You find this funny, Asgardian?"_ Death said, and it was clearly not amused.

Arawn flapped a hand towards it, trying to get himself under control. He knew it wasn't funny, but he honestly couldn't help himself. It was either that or break into a million little pieces and begin bawling like a newborn. After a couple deep breaths he finally stopped the laughter, but couldn't completely stop the occasional giggle that escaped him.

"Sorry," he breathed, and bit the inside of his cheek hard enough for it to bleed. "I know this isn't funny...I've just had a really, really messed up past few months."

_"This I know. I have been watching you closely since your birth."_

That sobered him up very quickly, as chills went down his spine. "Why?"

_"You are my Avatar. You have forgotten your origins, Arawn."_ A bone finger reached out towards him, and Arawn found himself frozen, unable to even move his head away. _"Remember, and become what you were born to be."_

Arawn felt his pupils expanding, and heard Morrigan growling beside him as his mind fell away, like a veil had been ripped from his senses.

_Verdant fields over rolling hills, small cottages dotted the countryside. A pack of hunting dogs by his side, the lead female black with vicious yellow eyes, named Morrigan after the goddess he had a long standing feud with. Battles and clashes, whispers of the dead singing sweetly into his ears as he led them to the afterlife and then rebirth. The final great war, when the dead rose up at his command, Morrigan his only companion after the others had been killed. Standing in a field coated with red, his armor and weapons dripping with them, glaring balefully at another man that held a sword aloft, ready to take his head. The dying wolf snarling weakly from his lap, where he held her._

The whispered spell. The skeletal hand in his hair, giving him the words.

He came back to himself with a gasp, and immediately had to roll over onto his stomach as he emptied it. When that was done, Morrigan licking his cheek, he took a few shaky breaths and sat back, shaking as he drew his knees to his chest, trying to figure out exactly what it was that he saw. Because of the memories, he knew that the being in front of him was actually Death, and not the shadows the being normally sent.

It appeared differently to everyone, dependent on their beliefs and what they thought Death should look like. Some, it was just a white light, while others - like Thanos - saw it as female. It was rare indeed for any being to see the guise Death took of its own accord. 

"I am the god of death and rebirth," he said quietly, and didn't need Death nodding it's head. He knew it was true. "Why...why would I cast that spell? It erased all my memories and powers, and sent me to the mortal plane. Why would I do that?"

_"You'll find out the complete truth soon enough. All you need to know now, is that you did it on my behalf, for a situation such as this. Thanos has gone too far. He must be stopped."_

"I thought Death was neutral," he said bitterly, glaring at the figure. All the previous fear he had was gone, now that he knew who he truly was.

_"I am. He has destroyed whole galaxies in my name, and seeks to kill the universe in my name. If the universe is dead, then there will be no more need for Death."_

Arawn blinked, and smiled slightly. "So this is saving your own ass too."

The skeletal head just nodded. _"There is more to it than that, but that is all you need to know."_

He narrowed his eyes, glaring into the black sockets, but he knew it wasn't an argument he would win. It was like talking to his dad - there were some you could win, but mostly you just gave up. So he shrugged and looked away. "Go away. I have a lot of thinking to do."

_"Very well. You know how to contact me should you need to do so."_

With a whisper of smoke it was gone, and Arawn held himself stiff for a long moment. Then he sagged, resting his forehead on his knees, and Morrigan whined next to him.

i>"Well that was interesting," she said, and Arawn couldn't help but snort in dark amusement.

"Yea. Not every day you find out you're the reborn Celtic god of death. Who is apparently a necromancer too, and Aesir, human, and Jotun. What the fuck Morri, I mean, shit..." He could not form a coherent thought, let alone a sentence. Suddenly, he found it hysterically funny, and a surprised laugh was ripped from him. Then he couldn't stop, tears pouring from his eyes, sides hurting...then the ache went deep into his bones, and the laughter abruptly cut off. He continued crying though, and turned almost desperately to throw his arms around the neck of his sister.

_"Oh Arawn..."_ She resting the underside of her chin over his shoulder, enveloping him against her chest protectively. _"I am sorry pup. I can only give you one thing, that Death showed me."_

He stiffened, pulling back to eye her with concern. "It told you something and not me?"

She almost glared at him. _"We both had those memories, but from different perspectives. I wasn't your average canine even then, imbecile."_

That succeeded in getting a small, true smile from him. He hadn't heard the affectionate insult in a while. "By all means sister of mine."

She just huffed and found that place in her, where her magic resided. Death had shown her a way to give Arawn that energy, without alerting Thanos. It was something that previously only Arawn could do, drawing energy from her. 

That had been a vastly different times, however. 

Arawn's jaw fell open, eyes going glazed as he felt his power fill him for the first time in what felt like centuries. He was absently glad that Morri was keeping watch, because he became lost in it for a moment, relishing the crackle of the fire running through his veins. 

"How in the hell..." he whispered, lost.

_"You cannot use yours currently, but I can give you mine. It is...hard to explain."_

"We'll figure it out later. Right now it works, so I'm not going to question it."

_"Wise decision."_

His first order of business was healing himself and Morri, even though he had to do it slowly and carefully less it be discovered. There was nothing he could do about being underweight, that would only come back through regular eating. 

He came back to himself briefly when his internal clock told him it was far past the time the insects would be bringing them food. He was bitterly satisfied that Morri hadn't said anything about the guards. 

"I guess now that dad is gone, we're expendable."

_"We already knew that was going to happen,"_ she said with a small huff of unamused laughter. 

"Yea," he returned darkly, and went back to examining his new power. Morrigan wasn't tiring in the least, and he could feel the bright reservoir of energy inside her. 

Suddenly it burst and spread like an egg, delving and finding the deepest parts of the rock he was currently living on. It took on a dark edge, unlike anything he had ever felt before...in this life. Suddenly the memories Death gave him were crystal clear, the reason behind them snapping into focus. 

He really _was_ a necromancer.

It took all his hard earned control to keep it somewhat contained, to keep it from being sensed, but that was all he could do. It was wild and fierce, yet deadly cold, reminding him of his Jotun powers. Yet there was a stillness to it that reminded him of a graveyard, a rustling like the sound of wind through dead leaves. It was exciting and unnerving at the same time. Here was a power that no other on Asgard held, would never wield without giving a piece of their soul away. Yet Death itself had given him the power when he had been a Celtic god, and now he was its Avatar once again.

He could feel the very bones this place was built on, literally. Deep in the rock were three skeletons, remnants of the world Thanos had taken over and destroyed for himself. Long sinuous bodies, sharp teeth, claws that were the length of his arm, and with a flash he knew what he was looking at.

i>Dragons.

He smiled grimly, and set to work. He knew _exactly_ how he was getting out of here.


	3. Avengers

The sweet, dangerous power sung through his veins as Loki materialized on Midgard, and the mad smile wasn't feigned as he looked up slowly, getting his bearings. He stood, eyes shifting as he analyzed the men with the weapons, and the obvious leader in all black standing in front of him.

"Sir, put down the spear."

He glanced at the weapon in his hand, then back up. He smirked, and let loose a bolt of power that exploded through him, sweet and deadly. He felt it drawing on his meager reserves, and it was pure adrenaline that saw him through the fight and allowed him to take over the mans - Clint Barton, Hawkeye - mind. He frowned when he saw from the corner of his eye the black man - Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD - snapping the case shut over the Tesseract.

"Please don't," he said genially, straightening and turning. "I still need that."

"Now this doesn't have to get any worse," the bald man said.

"Of course it does. I've come too far for anything else."

He smiled slowly, relishing in the flash of uncertainty, uneasiness in the black eye.

_This is so easy._

"I am Loki, of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose."

X[X]X[X]X[X]X[X]X[X]X

Tony whined when Jarvis suddenly cut off his music. "Jarv, what gives?"

"I have suddenly detected a heat source in your lab sir. It is coming from the top left drawer of your center workbench."

Tony froze for a moment, heart suddenly thumping at what those words implied. "Well how about that."

He rolled out from under his custom hot rod, with no shirt on. His bare skin was covered in grease and dirt, his hair sticking up wildly everywhere. He only bent his head backwards, just enough to look at said compartment.

It was where he kept his personal items, locked and stored away in the room he practically lived in. Dummy beeped questioningly, but Tony didn't say anything. He was fixated on that handle, and the possibilities that lied within.

Slowly he stood, grabbing a rag absently and wiping as much grease and dirt off his hands as possible without washing them. He paused again with his hand on the lock, Jarvis having undone it without his asking. With a barely there hitch in his breath his pulled it out, eyes taking in the soft emerald glow that was shining at him through a pile of knick-knacks.

A few hair ties of Peppers', an old, ornate watch for Rhodey that he had been tinkering on for _years_ now. In his defense, it never did anything quite like he wanted it to.

Shoved in the back was an old, rusted pin, a stupid thing one got out of a cereal box, and a pair of modern-looking ear plugs. Among them were bits of paper and metal, a random folded up piece of wire. Shining through it was the stag pendent, emerald eye glowing softly, resting on a large, rubber keychain that looked like a tree frog. It had deep chew marks.

It looked as though it was a random assortment of things, just like Tony wanted. Each piece was a vivid memory in his mind however. The first day Pepper had giving him that look, while tying up her hair, that long suffering look that told him she wouldn't leave. Finding the watch on a drunken binge with his best friend, wandering into a pawn shop in the middle of New Orleans. A stupid toy he had gotten when he had been very young, his father handing him a box of cereal with a wink - _"There's a prize inside son."_ The sudden pain of betrayal when he was frozen, his lifeline taken from him.

He absently picked up the necklace and slipped it over his head, feeling the warmth of it as it touched his skin. He then rested his fingers on the rough surface of the frog.

Laughing himself sick when he had caught Arawn chewing on a frog keychain, bright green and red being mangled in front of his eyes. Arawn was in the midst of working through something furiously on the computer. The kid's face had clashed horribly with his hair when Tony had burst out laughing, realizing exactly what it was he was doing. Loki had laughed right along with him when Tony had shown him later.

That one incredible night that blurred into a haze of sharp pleasure and growled _more_. He had never felt utter desire to consume, to claim as he had that night. Even though he was with Pep, he knew who he would go for if forced to choose. Not that it would be a problem anyway. Him and Pepper hadn't really sparked lately. They tried, but it just wasn't there anymore.

"Tony, are you going to go anytime soon? We are on a schedule."

Speak of the devil. He grinned and tossed on a shirt as he made his way towards the elevator. "Got sidetracked. On my way."

His baby was a success. All of his sweat, blood, and tears was paying off right in front of his eyes.

It was beautiful, and for the moments he was flying back towards it, life was perfect.

Then he got back, and he saw the files, and was suddenly glad that Pepper was gone. As he put the 3D model of the Tesseract back, his eyes shifted over and his jaw dropped.

There, in all his leather glory, was Loki.

_What the hell..._

He reached out and enlarged all the information, skimming through it quickly. He didn't realize he was frowning until he got to the end, and began reading it all over. There was no mention of Arawn, or pictures of the red head. There was nothing about Morrigan either, the arrogant wolf that the kid had introduced him too when he showed up at Malibu a year ago.

"Jarvis, hack into SHIELD's files, I want to know the instant they find Loki."

"Of course sir. If I may ask, what has happened with Mr. Hunter? Something is very wrong with all of this, sir."

"I agree," he said absently, beginning to pour over all the data Coulson had given him. Wormholes, astrophysics, it all became child's play as he delved deeper then the reading provided to him. He went over Banner's work, then Jane Fosters, then various works from other scientists, gaining a deeper understanding about what Loki could use the Tesseract for. Jarvis sent him files on the work SHIELD had been doing with the cube, and he snorted at the incompetence of them.

He would get answers from Loki after all this was sorted out.

X[X]X[X]X[X]X[X]X[X]X

Loki closed his eyes as the Other's power swam around him, glaring when he summoned a shadow of himself to pace back and forth across the barren rock in front of the disgusting creature.

"What do you want?" he sneered, the blue of his scepter pulsing in response to his agitation. It had grown quite fond of him, the Tesseract.

"Our Chitauri grow restless," the Other hissed, warningly.

Loki only smirked. "Let them. Soon you will have your toy and war, and I will be free to enact my revenge."

"You still seek to defy him?" The pasty white hand was placed on the rock that Loki knew Thanos resided at the top of. "The god that gave you your power, fallen prince?"

"I will _always_ defy him," he said harshly, pointing the now glowing weapon at the being. "He knows this, which is why he took the cowards route and enslaved my mind. You're _all_ cowards."

He clicked his tongue in condescension, bringing the point of the spear to rest under the pasty white flesh of the beings chin when it came for him. "Watch yourself Other. There is a reason Thanos plucked me from the Void to do his dirty work. Why he had to resort to such _desperate_ measures."

The Other growled, circling around him. He did not disagree. "If you fail, Asgardian, there will be no rock, no barren moon that you can hide from us." Loki slowly tensed as a papery hand curled around his jaw, preparing for what he knew was coming. It wasn't to kill him, so as much as he wished too, he could only deflect some of the damage. "Death will be a kindness, once I get through with you and your children."

He snapped back to himself, hissing as shivers racked his body, breathing harsh. _I will kill you, Other,_ he thought with a bloodthirsty grin. _I will break every bone in your body, and removed every single one of your teeth. This I promise you._

He took a deep breath and stood, filled with grim purpose. He walked through the bustling workers until he reached the closed off area, and smiled slightly when Selvig greeted him.

"The Tesseract has shown me so much! She's more than power...she's truth."

Loki couldn't help but smile bigger at the enthusiasm. He absently wondered if the man would forgive him after he had regained his mind, for the knowledge that the cube had given the scientist.

"I know." He turned to the agent. If there was one thing he was regretful about, it was turning this man. He was fighting to regain his mind even now, Barton's stubbornness undeterred. "What did it show you, Agent Barton?"

"My next target."

"Tell me what you need." He said quietly, watching the man as he went over to his bow case.

"A distraction. And an eyeball."

X[X]X[X]X[X]X[X]X[X]X

Loki kept up a cool, collected facade as he let his armor fade, smirking internally as Anthony's weapons folded back into the armor and the visor flipped up. A few things were different, namely the reactor in the middle of his chest. He remained placid, wondering if Anthony was going to speak, to reveal that they had a past. It tore at him more then he thought it would, knowing that he was now the enemy, that things would never go back to how they were between the two of them.

It wasn't until he looked up, and caught Anthony's curious, angry gaze, that he realized he was running his thumb over the microchip. It must have slipped out of his leathers during the battle. He showed no emotion as he put it back, holding his hands out to be cuffed, and let them lead him into the waiting jet.

Then thunder rumbled, and he found himself flat on his back, discs slipping in his spine from the force of the impact.

He groaned, then huffed a laugh. "I've missed you too."

"Where is the Tesseract?"

_Like I'm going to tell you._ "You should be thankful to me. Just how much dark energy did the All-Father have to amass to conjure you here? Your precious earth," he spat, getting to his feet. Thor helped him, glaring at him with sad, angry eyes.

"I thought you dead," his brother said, and Loki could read the honest grief that was there. It made his heart stutter, actually seeing that his brother had missed him, had mourned him...

But he still had his role to play.

"Did you mourn?" he asked darkly, spitefully.

"We all did. Our father-"

"Your father," he growled, jerking away and rubbing at his back. _I hate rock._ "He did tell you of my true parentage did he not?"

"And what does that matter brother? We grew up together, we played together, we fought together. That means nothing to me who your true father is!"

"And what of Arawn?" he asked bitterly, turning and glaring at Thor with glittering eyes.

He held back a blink at Thor's honest confusion. "What of my nephew? He was in his rooms when I left for here, to bring you home."

His world turned to ice. _Thanos, you utter bastard, what did you do?_ The Titan's laughter echoed through his mind, only stoking the coals of his hatred for the being.

"Loki, give up this foolish dream, come home with me," his brother pleaded, and how he wanted that. He could honestly think of nothing better than to have their mother hug him. He was so, so very tired.

So he straightened his spine, and sneered.

"I have grown, Thor Odinson in my exile. I have seen things and worlds that you could only dream of. I have been shown the true power of the Tesseract-"

"Who has shown you this? Who controls the would be king?"

"I am a king!"

"Not here! Earth is under my protection brother! Do not try to rule here because of some grudge you have against me!"

_I have no grudge against you, no longer brother,_ he thought, seeing how Thor's time spent in the mortal world had truly done his brother good. He smiled bitterly, though inside a part of him was released. At least now he knew that all of his plots hadn't been for naught.

"And a good job you've done so far," he said silkily, cruelly, and laughed when Thor grabbed him.

"You listen to me-"

Then he was gone, and Loki smirked. "I'm listening."

The fight was interesting, as he watched from his front row seat. He took the time to heal himself, as he marveled at the new power Anthony wielded. To be able to go against Thor and actually cause him to bleed was noteworthy. Then the good Captain stepped in, and he almost pouted. All of his entertainment was gone.

Oh did he have fun playing with their minds though, using his words to undermine each one. Except Anthony, though he wondered if his once lover realized that. "A warm light for all mankind to share," said teasingly, while he looked directly into the camera. _They have been fooling you Anthony, these so called protectors. See them for who they truly are._

Though his favorite part had to be when the Widow had come in. He made it seem as though she had out maneuvered him, while in reality, he knew she would go storming to Banner and set everything in motion.

Then Barton broke him out, he killed a man he knew to be close to them, and casually went to Anthony's tower. He looked down at the peaceful city, for the first time actually praying to Chaos. He actively sent these thoughts to Thanos, knowing he didn't believe the humans capable. Chaos bended and twisted, could force an entire world to shift, or one single event. Something that devastated or nudged.

He was desperately counting on Chaos to bring these wounded warriors together, against all the odds.

Because now? With his mind enslaved by the Titan? He wouldn't be able to save his children without their help.

A smile of teeth was the only response to the Mad Titans condescending laugh in his mind. _"Your plan will never come to fruition, little god."_

"Just wait," he crooned, the dome appearing as the machine charged. He watched it with a small, maliciously gentle smile. "I will have your blood on my hands, your skull for my personal coffee mug."

A mad, high giggle escaped him for a moment as Thanos snapped the connection in anger. Then he saw the person flying towards them, and the sound shut off abruptly. He had been expecting this confrontation since Anthony had shown up in Germany, though nothing had been exchanged privately between them but a few glances.

When Thor hadn't immediately asked Tony about Loki, he had let it go, and figured out that Thor knew nothing about him, or their involvement.

He hadn't expected anything different however. He knew Anthony would figure out where Loki had gone to, and would have been disappointed if he showed up with his superhero friends.

He merely tilted his head a bit. "Please tell me you're going to play to my humanity," he said with a broad smile.

"Where's Arawn?"

Loki blinked, taken aback for just a moment at the blunt question. Then he sneered. "He is on Asgard so my brother told me, hiding away from my _villainy_."

"No he's not, or he'd be here. I know he knows the back ways between worlds, like you taught him. Drink?" Loki inclined his head after a moment, surprised intrigue filling him as he stared at the inventor. He hadn't really considered the possibility that Anthony had figured so much out about them after only three months. Not even Asgard thought it strange that his children had locked themselves away.

"So, this is what I figure. This-" Anthony waved his hand around. "-is not your style. If you truly wanted to take over Earth, you would have done it quietly, from the ground up, not one tiny little portal that we can easily defend."

"How much you think you know," he purred cruelly, smirking when Anthony shot him an arch look.

"I know you better than anyone else, except maybe Arawn. By the way, I see what you meant about your brother."

Loki's interest only sharpened further, a familiar buzz heating his blood. Anthony had always been able to keep up with him in words. "He is an idiot, isn't he?" he mused, taking a drink of the scotch.

"Mm," Anthony agreed. "So here's what I figure. Somehow, someway, someone is pulling your strings, using Arawn and Morrigan as collateral."

Loki set the drink down calmly, a small, rueful smile on his face. How true that statement was.

"You believe wrong Anthony," he said quietly, as though amused by the whole concept. The words were as equally true as the ones Anthony uttered. "I am here of my own free will."

"Liar."

The word was flung in his face, and without thinking of what he was doing, he grabbed the man by the throat, lifting him off his feet. He pulled Anthony in, caressing his ear with his lips as he spoke. "Do not meddle in things you know nothing about, Anthony Stark."

Then he threw him out the window...only to have a suit send him face first into the ground. He let out a relieved breath, getting back to his feet and ignoring his tender jaw. He roughly calculated that it would get to Anthony before he hit, at the speed it was going. "Make sure he survives Jarvis, even if I don't."

"I will make sure of it Mr. Hunter," Jarvis answered coolly.

He winced slightly, then smiled tiredly at a hidden camera in the corner. "You trusted me, and I am sorry that I have to break that trust."

Jarvis stayed silent until Loki could hear the roar of the suit swiftly approaching.

"So mend it, sir."

A wordless growl was the only thing he got before the repulsor's shot him back into the bar.

Then the portal opened, and he did his part. He could not deny even to himself that he took great pleasure in stabbing Thor, knowing that it wasn't fatal.

Soon however, he found himself unable to move, several bones broken as he bled into the crater the beast had made with his own body.

_"You're son will die Asgardian."_ The words whispered through his mind, sparking a sudden hope. Thanos was pissed, which meant his children had found a way to escape and fight back.

He had failed, but was satisfied.

He absently wondered if this was death as blackness took him, and he knew no more.

X[X]X[X]X[X]X[X]X[X]X

"Give me my power," he said quietly, but pleadingly. He looked solidly into the black pits of Death's skull.

_"You will most likely die if I do that,"_ Death responded in its usual sibilant voice.

"I don't care!" He screamed, standing and letting all his fury and desperation loose. "I don't! I have to get out of here! I have to help my dad, and uncle, and Tony! I have to!"

He was almost begging now, and he didn't care. He swallowed all his pride, only barely keeping himself from falling to his knees. That was the one thing he still refused to allow himself, but his resolve was weakening. He would do whatever it took to get out of this hellhole.

The power Death had shown him, the power he had once controlled with barely a thought, eluded him now. He could not get the bones under his feet to move an inch, let alone fully reanimate them. He didn't have the time to build up his knowledge of it, to learn to control it.

He had run out of time.

_"Giving you back your full powers now would be suicide, Avatar. Your body cannot handle it yet, being in its infancy of godhood."_

"Please," he whispered, knees bending and hitting the floor. He stared at the being, naked desperation on his face and shining in his tears. "You can have it back, you can have me, I don't care, just give me time. Let me help them, please...they'll kill him." His voice broke, choking on the last words. "He'll never tell them, and he'll die, and we're going to die anyway...I can't...I can't let my dad die." Sobs clenched tight in his throat, and he bent his body, pressing his forehead to the floor. _"Please..."_

A sigh went through the room, and skeletal fingers were placed on his bent head. _"I will allow them back for a short time only, Arawn Lokison. I will take it back when I deem fit. Pray that it is before your death."_

Still, cool power trickled into his veins, then struck his system with all the subtlety of a bomb.

In a panic he screamed, sending it down deep into the rock, into the skeletons he had been futilely trying to raise the past few days. He needed it to go somewhere, because his body couldn't handle it all. It would burn through him like a flash fire, too much for him to control with the strange newness of it. Everything before, from Aesir to Jotun, was about forming, and manipulating something. This was searching, filling, giving direction and _letting go._

A roar echoed through the very bedrock under his feet, jolting him from his sudden trance. He swayed, toppling over as spasms racked his body, the power unbridled and burning through him. Fuck me, he thought desperately as he fought to control it, not even feeling it when Morrigan grabbed his arm with her teeth, flinging him onto her back and strapping him there with her own magic. His arm snapped from the strength of his muscle spasms, and he screamed. The power flashed, healing it, and with it came a mediocre ounce of control as it drained.

Bones snapped and broke under the strain of his true nature filling him, muscle ripping and tendons snapping, each flash of healing draining the magic just a bit more. He screamed and ranted and thrashed, shouting curses of pain until his throat gave out completely.

_"You've got to control it brother! Please!"_

Morrigan's panicked voice sliced through everything, giving him a much needed focus, mind snapping into place like a trap.

His thoughts had a sudden clarity that was as unnerving as it was nice, but he was still shivering, body aching with the wounds it had inflicted upon itself. He was darkly amused to know that his own power had just tried to destroy him. Death hadn't been wrong. He was not ready to wield the full power of his past, and that was a bitter pill to swallow.

He opened his eyes, only moving his head as he looked around. They were standing on a plateau of bare rock, the universe spread out around them. He had no idea how they had gotten there.

All around them were Chitauri warriors, bristled and ready for a fight, but they were hesitating. After a moment his blood ran cold with vicious satisfaction, as he figured out why.

Standing around them were dead Chitauri, and off in the distance he could see one of the dragons he had summoned battling with a giant...armored worm. He could tell the reanimated beasts were killed by Morrigan, and could feel the subtle spark of his icy power inside each one. They had stilled when he had come back to himself, but now he gingerly sat up on Morri's back, and then he could suddenly see the portal.

Arawn turned cold eyes back to the Chitauri milling around them, his smile a sharp, bloody smear on his face. "Kill them," he hissed coldly.

_"Morri, run!"_ He told her mentally, as his zombies - he smirked at that - attacked. Morrigan plowed ahead, snapping at those that got in her way. Adrenaline was kicking in now, and he helped, summoning his nidhogg armor as he began firing blast after blast. His stomach and heart lurched when Morrigan propelled them off the edge and into the vastness of space, but he could see that they wouldn't make it, not with the Chitauri already on their gliders coming their way.

He twisted, ignoring the screaming of his body, and whispered words of a familiar spell. He put much more power into it then normal though, and was happy that Morri had strapped him down to her when a jet of flame erupted from his hands and they shot forward towards the portal. He trusted her to keep them on path, since he had to concentrate to keep magic going into the spell. He had to concentrate very hard, actually, and that worried him.

_"Arawn! Someone just came through the portal! It looks like Tony!"_

Arawn released the spell - the momentum would carry them through - and twisted around with a hiss of pain. He had to duck out of the way as a large rocket went right over his head, and his insides flipped. He hoped that wasn't a nuke, but somehow he knew better.

Then grim satisfaction filled him.

He grabbed Tony's boot as they flew past the falling man, throwing him over Morrigan's back as they went through the closing portal, the bomb exploding just as they exited. He glanced back, smiling widely at the destruction. He would have liked to keep his zombie dragons, but they were a small sacrifice in the hopes that Thanos and the Other had been destroyed in that.

Morrigan used what was left of her magic to land on the top of Tony's Tower, and both men tumbled off. Arawn groaned at the protest of his body, getting onto his knees, and looked to the inventor. Panic filled him when he saw no light in the reactor, and he ripped off the helmet. He pressed shaking fingers to his neck, relieved that there was a faint heartbeat, but not liking the stuttering he felt. Taking a deep breath, he whispered a few words under his breath, fingers twisting into archaic patterns, and then he pressed them to the reactor.

And nothing happened.

"What the fuck," he whispered desperately to himself, and tried again. Then again. The power that he had wielded from birth, that his father had so painstakingly trained him in, would not come. He could see Tony growing more ashen the longer he tried, and his heart beat in double time in panic. He couldn't lose him. His dad would never be the same if Tony died.

Then lightning flared, draining a considerable amount of his new power. It left him dizzy for a moment, his vision going double as he leaned on a hand, Tony gasping and looking wildly around.

Their eyes connected, and Tony groaned again. "What the hell..."

Arawn grinned in relief, but a soft hiss hit his ears, and he looked sharply to his left, through the broken glass and into the room. He could barely see a figure trying to get up, and it was achingly familiar. With a cry of joy he stood and ran, ignoring Tony's call for him to wait, and leapt through the broken window to embrace the figure. Only to pull back sharply when Loki cried out in pain, jaw dropping as he saw the state his dad was in.

His dads power was so drained, or he was hurt enough that his glamour wasn't up, and Arawn could see everything clearly.

Broken nose, ribs, a leg, fingers, bruises, cuts and scars covered his body...but his eyes were green. Joy filled him along with deadly rage, the cool fingers of his necromancer powers slipping through his veins the longer he looked at his dad.

"Arawn? Nephew? What...did father send you?"

Arawn whipped around, standing protectively over Loki as Morrigan growled deeply, glaring at the assortment of people that were standing there, staring at them in confusion and weariness. His eyes locked onto Thor's, and his lip curled in a sneer.

"I didn't get sent anywhere, uncle. I've been gone for just as long as dad has! What, you haven't noticed?"

Thor blinked in confusion at his acidic words. "No nephew. When father sent me here, you were in your rooms with Morrigan. I...checked...that wasn't you?"

_Thanos you bastard!_ He thought, hoping that the Titan would hear it. The being must have made a clone, or a shadow of some sorts so no one would think he was missing.

"No uncle, that wasn't me." He heard another soft, pained groan from behind him, and he was suddenly very, very tired. And very, very angry. "Who did this?"

"Did what kid? Your dad tried taking over our world," Tony said, but stopped talking when Arawn glared at him.

"You knew him Tony," he said harshly, cruel satisfaction filling him when Tony paled. "You _know_ him. You know the respect he has for humans and this world. Why, pray tell, would he ever try to take this place over like that?"

"..."

He scoffed, uncaring how callous it sounded. "You're a genius Tony! You didn't look for anything deeper? I take it back, you're an idiot. Now, who did this to my dad!"

His anger suddenly erupted from him, and he felt that cool wind reaching from him, searching, finding, and filling. The angry chitter of the Chitauri suddenly came to life through the room, and the dead began to walk, glowing blue weapons aimed at the people standing in front of him.

"I get it now." His dad's voice was soft, awed, and amazed. "Arawn...the Celtic god. You're him reborn...it all makes sense now."

His power faltered for long enough for the anger to disappear, confusion replacing it, and he looked at his dad with a frown. His control on the dead fell apart, the bodies falling to the ground. "What?"

"When you first told me your name, it reminded me of something," Loki said, and then coughed up blood, his green eyes washed out and pained. "Now I know what. You're the reborn god of death, Arawn from the Celtic pantheon."

"You...you knew?" he asked, now even more confused.

"No, not until just now." Loki tried to sit up, and growled softly when Arawn tried to help him. He managed, but he was holding his ribs tightly. "How..." He winced. _"How did you get away from him?"_

_"We had a bit of help from Death itself,"_ Morrigan said dryly.

Despite the pain, Loki's gaze was sharp and analyzing as he looked between the two of them. Arawn felt a vague need to flinch when he met the penetrating gaze, but found that he was far to weary to do so. So he just held his dads gaze, watching the pieces click together, until a dark understanding filled the green eyes.

"I see," he said softly, and Arawn offered him a small, weary smile.

"I was right. I was fucking right..." Tony said quietly, at first triumphantly, and then pissed. "You were being used against your dad."

"So you knew that, and still let this happen?" Arawn snapped, his anger not forgotten.

"Wait, what?" Rogers asked, stepping between them and glaring. "Who are you?"

"I am Arawn Lokison, Wolf Brother, and Loki is my father. The wolf at my side is Morrigan, my sister and partner." Tony actually flinched at the politeness of his tone. The politer Arawn got, the worse his anger.

"And you were kidnapped and used against Loki? He was forced into it?" It was clear he didn't believe a word of it.

Loki barked out a harsh laugh, and once he had started, he couldn't stop. His broken ribs dug into his lungs, hysteria clawing at his mind, panic thundering his heart, but he couldn't stop.

"Forced?" He managed to get out, smiling madly, and a drop of blood left the corner of his mouth and rolled down his chin. "Forced...I suppose that's a good a term as any." Then he groaned, and giggled at the lance of pain.

"What the hell does that mean?" Barton demanded, his voice tight with fury. Ah yes, the crow.

His smile turned silky as he looked at his onetime puppet. "What I did to you is nothing compared to Thanos." He laughed briefly, then spit blood onto the floor. He turned crimson teeth to the occupants in the room. "Though you needn't worry your frail mortal hearts. I did agree to lead this attack long before he took over my mind."

He grinned challengingly when the man loosed the knocked arrow, then glowered at the metal hand when it was deflected.

"You agreed," Anthony said quietly, firmly, almost a bit disbelievingly.

Loki's smile grew a bit lopsided as he finally met those blue eyes, and he nodded. "I did."

"How many are dead?" Loki blinked when Anthony's eyes took on a feverish glow, and a chill went down his spine as he realized exactly what the question was.

"I don't-"

"Don't!" Anthony yelled harshly, hand slashing through the air. Loki grit his teeth as the others shifted nervously, unnerved by the intensity in which the two men stared at each other. _Don't lie._

"Anthony..."

"Stark." It was short and clipped. "It's Stark."

And that hurt a bit more then Loki would have admitted. He knew this was going to happen as soon as he put his plans into motion, following them down the slope as they turned into an avalanche. He would either ride it, or be sucked under. All he could do was fight for the outcome he wanted. Seeing the steely emotion there though made him regret, for just a moment.

He couldn't answer that question. That would reveal to much weakness to the people he was only under a tentative truce with. It would show just how much of a hold Anthony Stark had over him.

He could not do that to Anthony.

"I will not answer that," he said softly. "Stark."

He was actually quite surprised when Stark just smirked at him, eyes flashing with something like approval before turning away.

"Do you regret any of it?" Romanoff asked, and he turned to her.

"No," Loki said, his smile patronizing and nothing but teeth now. "I will do anything to protect what is mine."

"Well that just breaks my heart. I thought I was yours," Tony said with a return smile, all darkness and bitter amusement. The two ignored the rest of the people that were staring at them with open shock and confusion.

"You're still alive aren't you?" Loki returned sharply, then bent over as he coughed.

Arawn sank down onto his knees when a cry of dismay when he saw the blood pour over his dads fingers, reaching inside himself to find the power bestowed on him by his grandmother.

"Don't you dare," he hissed, teeth clenched as he fought against the death magic coursing through him. It didn't want to let him go, and he growled in panic. He hadn't come all this way to see his dad die right before him! Not when we're safe! "Don't die damnit!"

He felt icy fingers card once through his hair, sharp points digging into his scalp. Cold reminders of the warnings he had been given, of using the power before he was ready.

_"We will have a conversation soon, my Avatar."_ Its voice was a cold hiss in his skull, and he swallowed hard at hearing that tone. It never boded well, and how his blood froze was testament to that. He felt very, very small. _"There are things you need to understand."_

He shuddered at the words, nausea twisting in his belly. It took its power back, and he was running on enough adrenaline that he was able to summon his innate power. It was enough to heal the worst injuries and stop the bleeding for the time being, but by then, he was going on sheer stubbornness.

His sorcery was suddenly gone from his senses, the abrupt shift sending a massive migraine ricocheting through his skull.

It was all he could do to put out a hopefully bracing hand before pitching into complete darkness.


End file.
